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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741120">Night Terrors</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosewell893/pseuds/rosewell893'>rosewell893</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Separation [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>What We Do in the Shadows (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Nightmares, Self-Doubt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:35:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741120</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosewell893/pseuds/rosewell893</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Guillermo leaves unannounced, Nandor becomes troubled and starts having realistic, fear-induced nightmares.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Guillermo de la Cruz/Nandor the Relentless</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Separation [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1873246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Denial</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nandor slumped against the sturdy wooden door to his bedroom. He felt as if every ounce of energy and life in his body had been drained all at once, leaving a large, heavy hole in the middle of his chest that ached constantly. Though it wasn't because of his energy vampire housemate. Ever since he read that single word on that small piece of paper, his two inner defense mechanisms ran on overtime to keep him functional. Both his stubborn pride and optimism told him that he didn't miss Guillermo and that things would be O-AK without him.</p>
<p>Deep down he knew that that wasn't true at all.</p>
<p>Everything in the house reminded him of Guillermo. The chandelier, the fireplace in the fancy room, the foyer itself would bring a lump in his throat. Though, none of these places threatened his composure more than the closet under the stairs. The little hovel was covered in Guillermo's scent and that scent was slowly growing fainter with each passing day.</p>
<p>Nandor felt tears well up in his eyes at that. He knew that there would be a day when that scent disappeared entirely and all traces of Guillermo in that house would be gone forever. <br/>Like him.</p>
<p>Nandor shook his head violently, attempting to knock those thoughts and the clenching in his throat away. No, he would prevail. He doesn't need Guillermo. He wiped his misty eyes with his sleeve and stomped over to his coffin, taking off bits and pieces of his outfit along the way. Once he finished preparing himself for the morning, he stepped up to the small wooden step ladder and whipped his right hand out to the side in reflex. When all he felt was air, he felt a pang of sadness and aggravation.</p>
<p>"FUCK-ing-" he cursed in a low and hoarse tone, his voiced wavered and his chin spasmed as the lump in his throat threatened to smash his emotional facade to pieces. Nandor took a long, deep breath and climbed into his coffin, pulling the heavy lid down with him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sweet Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was inside of his coffin. He knew that much. The familiar, thick fur lining was mere inches away from his face as usual. Though, as he moved his arms, he felt nothing. As if he were floating on air.</p><p>The coffin was still very much restrictive. He couldn't move his arms past it's walls.</p><p>Though this should have brought him comfort, it instilled a pit in his stomach.</p><p>He pushed onto the coffin's lid with his hands. It didn't budge.</p><p>"Gui-" The call came out as a nearly in-audible whisper. He couldn't speak. It was as if a witch had hexxed his vocal chords.</p><p>"Gui-!" He tried once more. No difference.</p><p>The faint smell of smoke hit his nostrils.</p><p>He jostled the lid harder, panic set in his muscles.</p><p>"Gui-!" He desperately attempted to shout for a third time, no budge.</p><p>Then, the coffin burst into flames.</p><p> </p><p>Nandor jolted upward and smashed his head against the metal handle that rested just above his forehead. This brought him back to consciousness, though not completely back into reality. Adrenaline pumped through his undead veins as he frantically shoved against the heavy lid and hyperventilated like a drowning man gasping for air. A loud creaking in the near distance somewhat pulled him out of his hysteria.</p><p>"Hey, hey..." greeted Colin Robinson in his usual awkward tone as he peeked his head in from the doorframe. He spotted the jostling coffin in front of him and gave a gleeful smile. "Coffin lid's stuck again, huh?"</p><p>Nandor huffed and dropped his arms. "What do you want, Colin Robinson?" he asked, in a breathless voice.</p><p>Colin Robin drifted into the bedroom. "Well, I was just on my way out to go to work and I heard a bit of a ruckus, so, naturally, I came in here to see what was the haps-" His eyes slowly twinkled with blue light as he fed off of the irritated energy he was stirring in his roommate.</p><p>"Yes, well," Nandor interrupted, rubbing his eyes sleepily with his hand, "I am fine. You can go away, now."</p><p>Colin Robinson had made his way over to the side of Nandor's coffin. "Uh... you sure about that?" he inquired, a tinge of genuine concern in his still awkward tone.</p><p>"YES." Nandor replied, raising his voice.</p><p>Colin Robinson's eyes twinkled once more. "Dude, you can't even get out of your own coffin," he retorted, mocking him.</p><p>Nandor grumbled and slammed both of his hands against the lid, and it popped open. With the help of Colin Robinson, of course. The sight of the long, pale fingers on the wooden plank only aggravated him more. Colin knew it would, that's why he did it. Nandor kicked his leg into the lid and his supernatural strength caused it to fly open, the hinges bouncing under the sudden force. This made Colin Robinson flinch slightly and he put his arms back at his sides.</p><p>"I guess somebody woke up on the wrong side of the coffin, huh?" he quipped, while chuckling at his own awful joke. Nandor sat up abruptly and jerked his unamused expression at Colin Robinson, who continued on anyway. "So, what's the hub-bub? Why are you all wacked out?"</p><p>Nandor glared at him. "I don't know what you are talking about." he bluffed.</p><p>Colin Robinson rolled his eyes. "Come on, dude, you were so scared I could taste the fear from my room," he crossed his arms, "were ya havin' a nightmare?"</p><p>Nandor sighed in defeat and relaxed his stance a little bit. "Yes..." he admitted relunctantly. "I was trapped in my coffin, and a sneaky witch put a curse on my throat so I couldn't call for Gui-" Nandor cut himself off, but he could tell that Colin had caught his slip up because the energy vampire raised his eyebrows and let a small, humored grin grow on his lips in response. Nevertheless, he chose to ignore that and continued before Colin could say anything, "I couldn't call for help. Then, it suddenly blew up in flames." he recalled harshly. </p><p>Colin Robinson winced at the thought. "Ouch."</p><p>"Ouch, indeed." Nandor agreed, huffily.</p><p>"You know," Colin Robinson started, making Nandor throw his hands up and roll his eyes in a 'here we go..' gesture, "studies indicate that holding something soft in your arms helps you sleep better," the edges of Nandor's eyes softened as Colin Robinson continued, "like a pillow or a stuffed animal."</p><p>"...a pillow?" Nandor repeated. </p><p>Colin Robinson nodded, "Yep. It's supposed to make you feel more comfortable or somethin' like that." He pushed up his glasses that had slid down to the middle of his nose bridge. "You should be able to find one somewhere," Colin Robinson leaned forward slightly before continuing, "though, I wouldn't advise using any of the common area pillows. Nadja and Laszlo have knocked boots on every single one of those couches, if ya know what I mean." </p><p>"Yeeesh," Nandor hissed, thoroughly disgusted.</p><p>"I think there's one in Guillermo's old room that you could-" he was abruptly cut off by the sound of Nandor's loud hissing.</p><p>"I do not need anything from Guillermo, especially not his PILLOW!" Nandor shouted, making Colin Robinson squint from the sudden ringing in his ear. The energy vampire put his hands up in defeat and shrugged. </p><p>"No need to snap. It was just a suggestion."</p><p>Nandor aggressively slumped back into his coffin and closed the lid. "Goodbye, Colin Robinson."</p><p>Colin Robinson crept up closer to the coffin, instead. "Guillermo hasn't even broken it in yet."</p><p>"GOODBYE, COLIN ROBINSON." </p><p>With that Colin Robinson started walking towards the door. "I gotta head to work, anyway. See ya later, alligator." The energy vampire made his way to the doorway, opened the door and slipped through the doorframe, "sweet dreams, by the way."</p><p>Nandor gave a groan of frustration that made Colin Robinson's eyes twinkle blue and a creepy, wide smile form itself on his face as he walked through the foyer.</p><p>Once Nandor couldn't hear Colin Roinson's footsteps anymore, he grumbled to himself. He did not need Guillermo, or anything of Guillermo's. He was just fine on his own.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. To Have and To Hold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nandor the Relentless, conqueror of nations, slaughterer of millions, he who has painted the Euphrates red with blood twice, he who does not relent, found himself creeping across the first floor hallway of his victorian mansion in the middle of the day to fetch the pillow that once belonged to his human familiar.</p><p>The nightmares had only gotten worse with each passing day, and each one involved Nandor being murdered in one way or another. Being staked, force-fed garlic, and this particular morning, dunked in a pool of holy water. He wouldn't admit to himself that these nightmares all started after the disappearance of the human of the household, nor would he admit that said human made him feel safer, especially now that these vampire murders had been going on recently. He simply needs an additional pillow to support his aching neck. A pillow that he would prefer had not been tainted by his roommates's bodily fluids.</p><p>Nandor stood in front of the small closet, staring into the dingy curtain like a human staring into an electric oven door. Guillermo's scent, however faded since he'd left, still drifted out from beyond the confines of the piece of fabric that they called a door. The same scent that made Nandor fall to pieces on the inside every time he walked passed it, though he'd do everything in his power to keep it together. Now, he was faced with having to venture inside that scent chamber of a closet to get the pillow that he'd told himself he didn't need.</p><p>Nandor braced himself and took a deep breath in preparation, which he regretted doing because all he inhaled was the sweet fruity scent he so feared. He pinched his nose with his thumb and forefinger, swiped the curtain to the side, and entered the closet. </p><p>The closet remained bare as bone, even more so it seemed without the note being there, if possible. Though it was a foolish thought, Nandor half expected his familiar and all of his belongings to be there, and for this whole situation to just be a nightmare within a nightmare, but that part of him was shot down by the harsh reality every time he checked the closet and found nothing.</p><p>Nandor fought back tears once again. He shook his head fiercely, as if he was trying to shake the thoughts from his head, and snatched the pillow with his free hand. He then wisped out of the closet and back into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.<br/>Unbeknownst to him, a certain energy vampire had been watching him from the doorway throughout the entire ordeal.</p><p> </p><p>Nandor had taken a stool from the long abandoned kitchen and placed it next to his coffin, then tried multiple times to prop the pillow on top of it. Despite his efforts, it wouldn't stay. He decided that the best solution was to bring the pillow inside the coffin with him. He couldn't put it on the floor with the dirt and hair. That would be unhygienic. </p><p>Once he was nestled inside his coffin and had placed the pillow in the right spot, he closed the coffin lid. As the darkness folded around him, so did he fold his arms around the pillow, sticking his nose into the top of it. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the smell of polyester and the intoxicating scent of his familiar. Former familiar, he had to remind himself. Which he had no reason to be his ex-familiar, he granted him everything he wished for. He was a good master. Wasn't he a good master?</p><p>Though this thought should've made him feel better, it only served as the straw to break the camel's back when it came to his efforts of maintaining control of his ever-aching throat. Tears suddenly spilled down his cheeks as wrenching sobs clawed their way out from his throat onto the pillow he clung to, and his shield of denial shattered instantaneously.</p><p>He's not here anymore, and he's not coming back.</p><p><em><strong>Because</strong></em> of you.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Nandor felt his life force being drained, and the pain in his throat being alleviated gradually as the world grew darker, eventually lulling him into a deep slumber.</p><p> </p><p>Colin Robinson stood beside the large coffin with both hands spread out on the lid. His eyes glowed bright blue, but he lacked his signature feeding smile this time. In place of it was what one could call a frown, and a tinge of sadness in his gaze as he glowered down upon the lid and the man that slept beneath it.</p><p>"I know. I miss Gizmo, too."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I tried to capture how I pictured Nandor felt about Guillermo leaving, the thoughts he'd have about that and himself, and how he'd handle the situation by how he acted in the Season 2 finale. Also, continuing the trend of Colin Robinson being Nandor's emotional crutch in his own way during the real bad times.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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